Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is an action role-playing game released by Raven Software and Activision in October 2006 in U.S. Previously referred to as Marvel-Legends, this game features over 24 playable characters and 140 character appearances. Story The game starts with Dr. Doom having recently formed a new Masters of Evil. The new evil alliance launches an attack on the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier U.N.N. Alpha and Nick Fury sends out a distress call to all available metahumans, or super heroes. Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man and Wolverine are seen responding to the call and the heroes proceed to eliminate Dr. Doom's forces led by Scorpion, Bullseye, Winter Soldier, Radioactive Man, and Fin Fang Foom. After saving the helicarrier, Nick Fury is given permission to start a task force to fight this new threat and Iron Man gives them permission to use Stark Tower as their headquarters since the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier U.N.N. Alpha was badly damaged by the Masters of Evil. The first mission of the newly formed group of heroes is to investigate an odd message received from Dum Dum Dugan on the Omega Base, a S.H.I.E.L.D. mobile research facility. The player must fight through awakened Super Soldiers, AIM troopers and the supervillains M.O.D.O.K., Crimson Dynamo, and Mysterio so that they can prevent the Omega Base from crashing in to a dam and the Masters of Evil from launching several gamma bombs. The next mission for the heroes takes them to Atlantis, where the inhabitants are being mind controlled by Attuma using Sonic Emitters (which Attuma has Warlord Krang and Byrrah guard one of them) who has usurped Namor the Sub-Mariner from his throne with the help of Tiger Shark. With the help of nano-technology that enables them to breath and move freely underwater, the heroes are able to save Namor and defeat the evil usurper. After defeating Attuma, the heroes meet with Mandarin deep in the catacombs. He escapes with the "Tome of Asarius", but unleashes the Kraken, which the player must defeat in order to complete the mission. The player is then sent to The Valley of Spirits to confront Mandarin, where they encounter and recruit Dr. Strange. After finding and defeating Mandarin, it is revealed that he had attempted to take command of the Masters of Evil and, upon failing, left the group. He suggests that the Mandarin they saw in the catacombs was Loki, God of Mischief. Due to Loki's involvement and Nightcrawler and Jean Grey's kidnappings the heroes move their headquarters to Dr. Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum. The team learns that Professor Xavier has tracked Nightcrawler to Castle Doom, but upon trying to transport the heroes are sent to Murderworld by a spell of Baron Mordo. After defeating a mind-controlled Jean Grey, Rhino, and Shocker, the heroes confront Arcade the master of Murderworld. Upon defeating the game fanatic, the heroes learn from him that Dr. Doom has used Nightcrawler to gain access to Mephisto's Realm. The team is then sent to Mephisto's Realm. Upon arriving, minions of Mephisto kidnap Jean Grey and Nightcrawler. Blackheart, one of Mephisto's minions, puts them in separate cages above the Infinity Vortex. The player is faced with the choice of whether to save Nightcrawler or Jean Grey. One of them must be saved and another sacrificed, before the team can defeat Mephisto. Using the Super Soldier Serum, stolen from the Omega Base, a massive army of Super Soldiers attacks Asgard and imprisons the Asgardian Gods. You travel to Valhalla to liberate it from its invading force, and free Tyr (who is guarded by Scorpion and Lizard), Heimdall (who is guarded by Rhino and Shocker), and Balder followed by a battle with Enchantress and Executioner. The heroes head to Bifrost Bridge to defeat the Wrecking Crew so that Bifrost Bridge can be opened. Later, the heroes head to Niffleheim and defeat Kurse and Ulik. The Twilight Sword is found to be shattered, having been used to take Odin's powers as stated by Sif. The heroes learn before their battle with Ymir that Dr. Doom and Loki took Odin to Raven's Spire. After a battle with Baron Mordo and Ultron, the heroes face off against Loki. After Loki is defeated at Raven's Spire, the player is sent to free the Destroyer Armor, to use against Dr. Doom. It is revealed that you were tricked in to freeing the armor for Loki. The heroes defeat Loki and the armor, but Dr. Doom appears, and reveals that he has stolen Odin's power. He uses it to try and kill the heroes... ...Or so it seems. Uatu the Watcher saves them and transports them to the base of the Inhumans on the Moon. Uatu reveals the only way to beat Doom is to find the M'Kraan Crystal and steal the Muonic Inducer from Galactus, who is currently attacking the Skrull homeworld. The player is sent to the Shi'ar Empire where they help restore Lilandra Neramani to the throne so that they can get a portion of the M'Kraan Crystal and thwart Deathbird. After retrieving the crystal, the heroes travel to the Skrull homeworld to destroy Galactus' shield generators, and with the help of the Silver Surfer disable him to obtain the Muonic Inducer. While the heroes are away, Dr. Doom conquers Earth and corrupts many heroes after defeating them as well as using Odin's powers to create evil clones of the playable heroes. Upon arriving back at Stark Tower, the team finds that Doom has converted it into "Doomstark" tower. The player must fend off an army of Iron Man-based robots so that they can reactivate the tower for their use. The final level is set in Latveria, home of Doctor Doom, and whilst there they defeat the corrupted evil heroes, evil clones of the heroes, many clones of the Fantastic Four, and confront Dr. Doom. The heroes use the two devices obtained earlier to weaken Doom and upon being struck down by the heroes, Doom is blasted by a bolt of lightning sent by a rejuvenated Odin, leaving nothing but his mask behind. Nick Fury tells the heroes that the team must disband and asks the heroes if S.H.I.E.L.D. can count on them when another threat happens. Captain America replies by saying that the world can count on them. Meanwhile, Galactus vows revenge on the heroes who stole from him and plans to destroy Earth. Subplot During the game a subplot takes place where Weasel attempts to find proof that the Black Widow is a double agent, and the player needs to obtain various pieces of information to aid his efforts. Ultimately the players call Nick Fury with information of Black Widow's apparent betrayal, it is revealed that Black Widow is innocent and her suspicious activities were part of an operation to try and retrieve plans that Dr. Doom had stolen from S.H.I.E.L.D. However, a phone call made during the credits reveal that the Black Widow had been using Weasel to steal information from S.H.I.E.L.D. then setting up Weasel for the fall. Future After the game, Uatu tells the player of how his/her actions in the game (such as not completing missions the right way, or not completing side missions) have changed the future. Here are the futures that Uatu explains: * If the player prevents the Super Soldiers from destroying the S.H.I.E.L.D. Omega Base computer that contains research data on the Legacy Virus, it's information will lead to a cure several years later that will save the mutant race from possible extinction. If not, the mutant race may go extinct. * If the player succeeds in finding the rare Walek Seaweed as one of the ingredients to a medicine that will heal Namor, he will begin to trust surface-dwellers and join a world-wide organization of superheroes (a reference to the Illuminati in the final shot of that) that will save the Earth from many dangers that would've destroyed it. Otherwise, war between Atlantis and the surface world may ensue when Warlord Krang overthrows Namor and caverns stolen nuclear missiles to use against the surface world. * If the player succeeds in saving Senator Robert Kelly from within Murderworld, he would successfully sponsor the Mutant Aid bill which will allow government funds for schools like Professor X's which will prove to be very perfective in training young mutants how to control their powers. If Senator Kelly isn't rescued, he will instate a bill where all mutants are forced to go to re-educational camps so they will be educated to NOT use their powers. * If the player chooses to save Jean Grey from being dropped into the Infinity Vortex, Mystique will avenge Nightcrawler by infiltrating the X-Mansion at night to vent her frustration upon Professor X where he will die in a coma months later and the X-Men will disband forever. If the player saves Nightcrawler from being dropped into the Infinity Vortex, Jean Grey doesn't die in the Infinty Vortex and will return to Earth in the form of the Dark Phoenix to exact vengeance upon those that didn't save her. * If the player finds Valkyrie's sword Dragon Fang, Asgard will be easily freed with her aid, Loki will be imprisoned in chains, and Ragnarok never comes to pass. If the player doesn't find her sword, Valkyrie and Balder fall in battle during the prevention of Ragnarok and the people of Asgard are forbidden to contact Earth for a century. * If the player recovers Volla's ring, she will warn Odin about an attempt on his life which will lead to the capture of the villainous fire demon Surtur in the years to come. If not, then Odin will be killed, Lady Sif dies in battle, and Thor will rule Asgard as the greatest of the gods. * If the player frees Lilandra Neramani, the Shi'ar will give Earth their advance technology that will wipe out Earth's diseases and hunger and the Shi'ar technology will eventually enable humanity to colonize other planets. If the player doesn't, the Shi'ar will refuse to help the heroes when an asteroid comes to destroy the Western coast of the United States. * If the player saves the Skrull homeworld from destruction, the Skrulls will soon form a tentative partnership with Earth and later come to the aid of Earth when the Kree threaten to enslave humanity. Otherwise, the Kree and the Skrull will go to war with one another separately, costing millions of lives. * If the player frees Odin from his dark magic machine confinement at Castle Doom, he will help Thor prevent Thanos from taking over Earth in the near future. If the player doesn't, he won't help Thor fight Thanos who will end up enslaving Earth for centuries. * If the player successfully finds the damaged Ultimate Nullifier in a laboratory at Castle Doom, Mister Fantastic will repair it and use it one day to prevent Mephisto from invading Earth before all is lost. If the damaged Ultimate Nullifier isn't found, Mephisto is still repelled, but only after heavy casualties. Features The game features over 140 characters from the Marvel Universe. Players are able to create teams, and have online and co-operative play, for up to 4 players. In arcade mode players will have to fight for the most kills in order to get the experience points at the end of the level. There are also special comic book missions, revisiting a moment in a character's past and facing a classic arch rival. Characters may have up to four costumes, which can alter the stats of the character. Players will fight in mid air, underwater and on the ground, with fully destructible and interactive environments in over 17 locations, traveling around different locales on planet Earth, different dimensions, and even the depths of space by the end of the game. The game has alternative endings, affected by the decisions the player(s) make throughout the game. These endings are based on whether or not the player chooses to complete optional missions. The game is quite rewarding for fans of Marvel's characters, providing lots of bonuses and nods to knowledgeable fans who know their comic history. Putting together teams of characters who have a shared history together, for example, may give team bonuses (ex. using Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and Ms. Marvel on the same team would yield you the Avengers, giving you a boost in attack damage for all team members). Using particular characters to interact with other NPCs can also yield additional dialogue, and villains will also react accordingly when met with their nemeses(for example, Bullseye will talk directly to Elektra upon seeing her in the first chapter). The game also features trivia games, artwork and many more references to the Marvel Universe. While many characters in the game by default are rendered with the appearance they have in the Ultimate Marvel line of comics, the world of the game is predominantly based upon that of the original Marvel Universe, with many villains, character designs and references to events that exist only in that continuity (for example, Galactus is the original Marvel Universe's version, not Ultimate Marvel's hive-minded robotic version). Versions The game is available for the Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Playstation Portable, PlayStation 3, Game Boy Advance, Wii and PC. The graphical engine and looks will differ between the various platforms. For the 6th gen consoles (PlayStation 2 and Xbox), characters models will be similar to X-Men Legends II style. The 7th generation (PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360) versions will feature more detailed character models and environments. The PC version will vary depending on the customization of a user's settings, at maximum settings and shaders with premium hardware, the PC graphics will be similar to or better than the 7th gen. The PC version also features "intuitive mouse controls" http://www.marvelultimatealliance.com/game_info.php. There are exclusive characters on the GBA, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3. The PSP has four exclusive characters, the GBA has two exclusive characters, and the three next-gen systems share two exclusive characters. Moon Knight and Colossus (the next-gen exclusive characters) are now playable on the PC version as well with a game mod. GBA Marvel: Ultimate Alliance's graphics are reduced to a very low graphic quality for the Game Boy Advance version. *Just like the other versions, players can switch between any character during the game. Players can also create their own team involving only 3 characters. Also, some characters aren't available on the GBA, such as Black Panther. http://vip.marvelultimatealliance.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=2159 *The same exact gameplay as in other versions; players can do major upgradings on characters and tactics, as well as build their reputation points. *Exclusive to the GBA version: **Players can call in a striker, which performs devastating attacks directed toward on-screen enemies. **Three exclusive characters: Jean Grey,Namor, and Vision *Interactive environments; players can take advantages and use this to track their enemies. *Some additional gameplay modes added including: S.H.I.E.L.D. Simulator, Time Challenges, Scavenger Hunts, and a Survival mode. PSP The PlayStation Portable version features simplified graphics, different characters, and extra features: *Four exclusive playable Marvel characters: Black Widow, Captain Marvel, Hawkeye and Ronin *One exclusive comic book villain: Swordsman (Andreas Strucker) *6 special comic book missions *Microphone support (voice chat), via which players can speak with other players online *Online-recordable player statistics *Exclusive prequel missions *Three exclusive single-player gameplay modes Wii The Wii version features: *Simplified graphics compared to PS3 and Xbox 360 versions *Specific motion-sensitive controls for normal moves *Motion-sensitive controlled Special attacks, unique for each character *Access to any special move at any time, which is unavailable for any other build. (The only other version to use this would be the PC version.) *There is no online play, but there is a normal multiplayer mode in which up to four players may play at once. Characters Characters that appear as alternate costumes are listed under the original character. :All playable characters have four different costumes, except Moon Knight, who has three. Characters with a "*" are not available at the beginning of the game, and become available during gameplay. All characters in italics are costume changes for other characters. Easter Egg Conversations Just like X-Men Legends II, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance features Easter Egg conversations with the bosses. Among these include: Additionally, there are situations where meeting an NPC ally (even if a playable character isn't being used right now) that will trigger similar conversations. These are: Locations It's important to note that despite the game's title, the game does not take place in the Ultimate Universe. Also, there is no word that it definitively takes place in the Earth-616 universe or the X-Men Legends universe. PlayStation Portable The PSP version will feature slightly simplified graphics, different characters, and extra features: *4 exclusive playable Marvel characters. *6 special comic book missions *Microphone support (voice chat), via which players can speak with other players online *Player Statistics *Exclusive prequel Voice Actors * Dee Bradley Baker - Nightcrawler * Adrienne Barbeau - Sif * Gregg Berger - Attuma, Galactus, Thing * Steven Jay Blum - Wolverine, Venom * Trev Broudy - Captain America * Gabrielle Carteris - Elektra, Enchantress * Larry Cedar - Loki * Cam Clarke - Thor, Daredevil, Weasel * Chris Cox - Silver Surfer * John Cygan - Iron Man * Robin Atkin Downes - Cyclops, Dr. Bruce Banner, Crimson Dynamo * Greg Eagles - Luke Cage * Paul Eiding - Ymir * Greg Ellis - * Quinton Flynn - Spider-Man, Arcade * Crispin Freeman - Winter Soldier * Nika Futterman - Black Widow, Deathbird * Michael Gough - MODOK * Richard Green - Magneto * Kim Mai Guest - Crystal * Michael Hagiwara - Wong * Dan Hay - Additional Voices * James Horan - Doctor Strange, Ultron * Jerry Houser - Hank Pym * Marabina Jaimes - Clea, Ronin * Tom Kane - Grey Gargoyle, Professor X * John Kassir - Deadpool * Josh Keaton - Human Torch * Phil LaMarr - Black Panther, Colossus, Moon Knight, Uatu * Dawnn Lewis - Storm * Nancy Linari - Medusa * Peter Lurie - Executioner, Sabretooth * Scott MacDonald - Corsair, Dum-Dum Dugan, Nick Fury * Danica McKellar - Invisible Woman * David Naughton - Mister Fantastic * Nolan North - Ghost Rider * Khary Payton - Blade * Phil Proctor - Baron Mordo, Edwin Jarvis * Steven Rattazzi - Mandarin * Peter Renaday - Odin * Clive Revill - Dr. Doom * Roger Rose - Vision, Captain Marvel * James Sie - Ancient One, Fin Fang Foom, Radioactive Man * David Sobolov - Blackheart, Titannus * April Stewart - Ms. Marvel * Fred Tatasciore - Mephisto * James Arnold Taylor - Iceman * Joe Thomas - Namor the Sub-Mariner * Tasia Valenza - Spider-Woman * Sarah Waits - Jean Grey * Beau Weaver - Tiger Shark * Dave Wittenberg - Gladiator * Kris Zimmerman - Additional Voices Notes *Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is rumored to be in the works. See also *Marvel: Ultimate Alliance/Gallery *X-Men Legends *X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse External links *Marvel Ultimate Alliance's official site *Marvel: Ultimate Alliance trailer on youtube *Marvel: Ultimate Alliance on youtube *Marvel: Ultimate Alliance Gallery on ign.com *Gamespot trailer *IGN: PS3 *1up look into M:UA *Gamespy information on M:UA *Marvel Legends: An Unofficial Forum for M:UA ------------- Category:Video Games